Eli Lilly has committed another 780,000 vials of insulin to the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child program. Life for a Child provides free, life-saving medicine to children living in impoverished communities who otherwise would not have access to the insulin they need. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for people with diabetes, representing 230 national diabetes associations in 170 countries and territories.
Lilly's new commitment builds on the company's previous donation of 800,000 vials of insulin over the past six years, which reached more than 14,000 children in 34 countries. Over the next three years, Lilly will donate approximately 260,000 vials of insulin each year to the Life for a Child program. This commitment will allow Life for a Child to continue providing treatment for children in the countries where the program currently operates and to increase the amount of insulin supplied for distribution.
Lilly is the sole provider of insulin to the IDF's Life for a Child program. The original donation of 800,000 vials represented Lilly's largest-ever product donation at the time. This new development extends Lilly's total commitment to Life for a Child to nearly 1.6 million vials of insulins.
"We know that a diagnosis of diabetes is a monumental event for any child and family. But, sadly, in many lower- and middle-income countries, that diagnosis all too often means no future at all," said Graham Ogle, Life for a Child general manager. "Lilly's donation of insulin offers continued hope to children and families in need who are trying to manage type 1 diabetes in very challenging conditions."